Search - Mary Lou Lord :: Live City Sounds

Music from the T

Michael A. Lally | Fairport, NY USA | 02/27/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Before Lilith, the over-marketization of "women in rock" and just before Etheridge and Chapman broke...there was Mary Lou Lord. This record takes me back to a place in my life. Her voice would call to me from the caverns of Park St. Station. Her voice, soft and yearning, would find me...buzzed, weary, wandering...inching my way to the last train of the night.Her music would flow through me. Songs of quiet jealousy, forlorn love, and hope. Those two songs before the train came were all I needed to get me to the next morning. This record does a fantastic job of taking me back to that place. Listen closely and you will hear the trains. It captures the essence of Mary Lou Lord. Mostly folksy, bluesy, post or alt country songs. A great cover of Springsteen's "Thunder Road" which gives it a "You Can Sleep While I Drive" quality. I was sad to see that Dire Straits' "Romeo and Juliet" was left off. Lord has achieved more "polish" over the years but her signature strum at the end of each song is still there. The applause between songs is a bit of a distraction for me...only because I dont remember any applause at two in the morning. A great snapshot of Mary Lou Lord."

Just like being there

sarah | N. Providence, RI United States | 02/01/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i feel pretty confident in saying that anyone who knows who mary lou lord is knows that from time to time, she can be found playing in "her spot" on the mta's green line. this recording of some of her time spent there is awesome. it's a lot of covers, which are all fantastic, but i think the best thing about it is hearing the snippets of conversation and the occasional train running by... because that really adds to the essence of mary lou lord. its just great. yes. great. wooooo!"

On the Avenue

Ouija | Las Vegas, NV USA | 06/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mary Lou Lord has a great ear for music and consistently chooses the best songs (albeit some eclectic) to cover. This self-recorded live disc captures MLL in her element -- busking in the Boston subway. The passersby and passing trains only add to the ambiance, especially with MLL tackling a variety of excellent tunes.



There's the Magnetic Fields' "I Don't Want To Get Over You," Richard Thompson's "Vincent Black Lightning," Big Star's awesome "Thirteen," Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road" and more.



This disc is surprisingly intimate and marks a real return for MLL to her busking roots. She sounds comfortable and at home, which she is. I love this disc."